EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2024)
Reporting Period: 2024
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Sustainability
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- 100% fibre coverage by 2030 (Digital Decade target)
Medium-term Goals:
- Remaining 20% of subscribers to achieve copper switch-off by 2030
- 10,000 climate-neutral highly secure edge nodes to be deployed by 2030
Short-term Goals:
- 80% of subscribers to achieve copper switch-off by 2028
Environmental Challenges
- Limited fibre coverage (56% of all households, 41% in rural areas)
- Delays in 5G standalone network deployment
- Low take-up of at least 1 Gbps broadband (14% in 2022)
- Low take-up of at least 100 Mbps broadband (55% of EU households)
- Edge computing still in its infancy in Europe
- High energy consumption of ICT sector (7-9% of global consumption)
- Increasing e-waste
- Risks to 5G networks from high-risk suppliers (Huawei, ZTE)
- Vulnerability of submarine cable infrastructures
Mitigation Strategies
- Investments in Gigabit connectivity and 5G (up to EUR 148 billion)
- Investments in transport corridor coverage (EUR 26-79 billion)
- Investments in satellite broadband services
- Investments in cloud-based solutions (estimated gap of EUR 80 billion until 2027)
- EU 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox to mitigate risks from high-risk suppliers
- R&I efforts in key technologies for secure communications networks
- Development of security standards for end-to-end connectivity
- EU Critical Communication System (EUCCS) to connect communication networks of public safety responders
- Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) to place security-by-design obligations on manufacturers
- Increased public funding to support private investment in submarine cable infrastructures
- Joint EU governance system on submarine cable infrastructures
- Harmonised security requirements for submarine cables
Supply Chain Management
Responsible Procurement
- Assessment of risk profile of suppliers
- Restrictions for high-risk suppliers
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Opportunities
- Smart building design (up to 27% energy savings)
- Smart mobility applications (up to 37% transport emission reduction)